Somalia security forces end militant attack on hotel that killed 26

Somalia’s security forces on Saturday ended an overnight attack by the al Shabaab militant group on a hotel in the southern port city of Kismayu that killed at least 26 and injured 56, a police officer said.

“The operation is over,” police officer Major Mohamed Abdi told Reuters by telephone from Kismayu.

“So far we know 13 people died. Many people have been rescued. The four attackers were shot dead,” the offcier said earlier.

Members of the the al-Qaeda linked group stormed the hotel after targeting it with a car bomb on Friday while local elders and lawmakers were meeting to discuss approaching regional elections.